All eyes are on Israel after Hamas on Monday announced it accepted a cease-fire proposal from Qatar and Egypt. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to temper expectations despite international pressure to reach a deal.

In a statement, Netanyahu’s office said the proposal was “far from Israel’s essential demands.” However, Israel will send negotiators to work on an agreement.

The announcement came hours after Israel told Palestinians to immediately evacuate parts of Rafah, a southern city in Gaza. Israeli officials confirmed Monday that its forces are striking targets in the area, where it says the last remaining Hamas battalions are located. About 250,000 people lived in Rafah before the war, but the population has now grown to over 1 million as uprooted Palestinians have moved into the city, according to the United Nations.

Officials from Israel said they are reviewing the cease-fire proposal, but Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said its military operations in Gaza will continue in the meantime. “We examine every answer and reply very seriously,” Hagari said. “At the same time, we continue our operations in the Gaza Strip and will continue to do so.”

White House national security spokesman John Kirby was tight-lipped about any details of the cease-fire proposal or the military actions happening in Rafah.

“We want to get these hostages out. We want to get a cease-fire in place for six weeks. We want to increase humanitarian assistance, and the last thing that I want to do is say anything at this podium that’s going to put that process at risk,” Kirby said during a briefing at the White House. “Regardless, as we said before, we still believe that reaching an agreement is the absolute best outcome not only for the hostages, but for the Palestinian people. And we’re not going to stop working to that outcome.”

Kirby wouldn’t speak to Israeli military operations, but he added that “we’ve made clear our views about operations in Rafah that could potentially put more than a million innocent people at greater risk.”

The details of the cease-fire proposal remain unclear. Reuters reports that the first phase of the proposal includes a 42-day cease-fire and the release of 33 Israeli hostages in return for Israel releasing Palestinians from Israeli jails.

Kirby declined to confirm any details in the potential deal, adding that Biden’s call with Netanyahu on Monday happened before the announcement that Hamas agreed to a plan.

International pressure to agree to a cease-fire remains high amid constant concerns about escalation in the region. More than 30,000 people have been killed in Gaza in the war since Oct. 7, when Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was “pleased” that Hamas agreed to a cease-fire and encouraged Israel to accept the proposal. He called on other countries to push Israel to take the deal.

“I call on all Western actors to put pressure on the Israeli administration,” the president said following a cabinet meeting.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping similarly called for a cease-fire on Monday as he pleaded for “lasting peace in the Middle East.” Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Israel and Hamas to come to an agreement and expressed concern over Israeli military operations in Rafah.